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Proserpine Goorganga Plain wetlands

Proserpine Goorganga Plain wetland

The Goorganga Plain wetlands aggregation stretches almost 17 000 hectares to the south of Proserpine, a sugarcane town near Mackay. The area comprises a mix of leasehold and freehold properties and supports grazing, cane production and forestry. The Goorganga Plain wetlands form a large delta at the end of the catchment that filters nutrients and sediment that would otherwise flow into the Reef lagoon. The aggregation is listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia and is habitat for a variety of wildlife, including rare and threatened species.

The Queensland Wetland Programme provided funding to the Whitsunday Catchment Landcare to trial an integrated approach to weed and pig control – weeds and pigs are two of the key threats to the wetlands. The funding was allocated through the pilot round of the $8 million Great Barrier Reef Coastal Wetland Protection Programme, which was co-ordinated by the Queensland Wetlands Programme and implemented through a consortium that includes WetlandCare Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia.

The weed control project developed long-term control measures for devil’s fig, urena burr, sicklepod and melaleuca regrowth, while the pig control project – conducted with the help of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and local landholders – considered the outcome of trapping and baiting. The project involved collaboration from the landholders, CANEGROWERS, the Whitsunday Shire Council, the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The results of the project are available from the Whitsunday Catchment Landcare on (07) 4945 0267.

Last reviewed 03 March 2008

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